Barbecue Accessories

For a quality grilling experience

If you enjoy grilling and want to end up with a result you'll love, there are certain barbecue accessories you must have. As the old saying goes, you need the right tool for the job. This helps you avoid frustration and makes sure your grilled food comes out exactly as you like it.

Basic Barbecue Tools

Though there are tons of barbecue accessories available, there are a few basic tools you must have to make grilling a fun, safe way to cook. A long-handled spatula, long-handled fork and long-handled tongs are must-haves for lifting, turning and putting food safely on and off the grill. The salad tongs you have in your kitchen drawer are probably not suitable, if only because the handles are too short. Also, keep the morning-eggs spatula and your current meat fork in the kitchen. When you're grilling meat inches above a heat source that can reach 650 degrees, you need long-handled tools to protect your hands.

Long-handled brushes are necessary for basting the meat as it cooks which, along with marinating the meat before cooking, is the key to tender and delicious barbecue. You can find long-handled brushes that look like a regular basting brush; much like a paintbrush. Or you can go for the long-handled brushes with what looks almost like a string or a rope mop on the end for some serious barbecue basting.

Tenderizing Tools

Some other barbecue accessories that are also marketed for convenience and the production of great results are those used to tenderize meat. These tools tenderize the meat by puncturing it with large spikes so that marinades and sauces can seep in. If you plan on cooking several large cuts of meat that seem too big for your long-handled fork, you can purchase a tool that looks like a large hook, designed for turning those big slabs of beef or pork.

Specialty Barbecue Accessories

If you like shish-kebabs and corn on the cob, you can find specialty barbecue accessories like stainless steel or bamboo skewers and corn holders. If you're new to grilling, consider investing in a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your meat, and maybe even one to monitor your grill heat. A piece of chicken might be crisped to black on the outside but still partially raw in the center, so these are great tools for new grillers to help make sure that chicken and pork aren't undercooked.

Grilling racks and baskets are great barbecue accessories if you plan on grilling a lot at one time, or if you want to grill several small items. Racks hold meat sideways to allow for more on the grill at once, and baskets are barbecue accessories that keep small items like vegetables and shrimp from falling through the grate.